Operating Systems Definition: An OS is a set of programs that manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for application software.
The OS has the following function:
Manage Input and Output Manage Security Manage Virtual Memory Run utility applications (eg. antivirus, disk partition software, hex editors, notepad) Run user applications (eg. Minecraft, Media player)
Loaders, Linkers and Library Manager
Loader
In computing, a loader is the part of an operating system that is responsible for loading programs. It is one of the essential stages in the process of starting a program, as it places programs into memory and prepares them for execution.
Linker
In computer science, a linker or link editor is a program that takes one or more objects generated by a compiler and combines them into a single executable program.
Multi User / Single User / Multi Tasking / Multi threading
Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system or application software that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems. The complementary term, single-user, is most commonly used when talking about an operating system being usable only by one person at a time.
Multitasking is a method by which multiple tasks, also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. In the case of a computer with a single CPU, only one task is said to be running at any point in time, meaning that the CPU is actively executing instructions for that task. Multitasking solves the problem by scheduling which task may be the one running at any given time, and when another waiting task gets a turn. The act of reassigning a CPU from one task to another one is called a context switch. When context switches occur frequently enough the illusion of parallelism is achieved. Even on computers with more than one CPU (called multiprocessor machines), multitasking allows many more tasks to be run than there are CPUs. Single tasking is when computers are only able to run one task at a time.
Multi Threading is when more than one parts of a program are run at the same time. For example in Quake 2, the software graphics processor and the level loader.
Definition: An OS is a set of programs that manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for application software.
The OS has the following function:
Manage Input and OutputManage Security
Manage Virtual Memory
Run utility applications (eg. antivirus, disk partition software, hex editors, notepad)
Run user applications (eg. Minecraft, Media player)
Loaders, Linkers and Library Manager
Loader
In computing, a loader is the part of an operating system that is responsible for loading programs. It is one of the essential stages in the process of starting a program, as it places programs into memory and prepares them for execution.Linker
In computer science, a linker or link editor is a program that takes one or more objects generated by a compiler and combines them into a single executable program.Further Reading:
Linker / Loader comparisonLinux Journal Linkers and Loader
Library Manager
Multi User / Single User / Multi Tasking / Multi threading
Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system or application software that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems.
The complementary term, single-user, is most commonly used when talking about an operating system being usable only by one person at a time.
Multitasking is a method by which multiple tasks, also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. In the case of a computer with a single CPU, only one task is said to be running at any point in time, meaning that the CPU is actively executing instructions for that task. Multitasking solves the problem by scheduling which task may be the one running at any given time, and when another waiting task gets a turn. The act of reassigning a CPU from one task to another one is called a context switch. When context switches occur frequently enough the illusion of parallelism is achieved. Even on computers with more than one CPU (called multiprocessor machines), multitasking allows many more tasks to be run than there are CPUs.
Single tasking is when computers are only able to run one task at a time.
Multi Threading is when more than one parts of a program are run at the same time.
For example in Quake 2, the software graphics processor and the level loader.
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